


Falling in love at the exorcist tournament

by Vasilisian



Category: Original Work
Genre: Baba Yaga - Freeform, Boys In Love, Enemies to Lovers, Falling In Love, Fantasy Violence, Gays wieliding swords, Idiots in Love, M/M, Magic, Mako is slightly unhinged, Referenced cannibalism, References to Norse Religion & Lore, Russian Mythology, Swordfighting, Urban Fantasy, but that's what happens when you're raised by THE Baba Yaga, not graphic though
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-22
Updated: 2019-08-18
Packaged: 2020-07-10 04:54:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 11,443
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19900147
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vasilisian/pseuds/Vasilisian
Summary: Mako has everything he could want except a challenge that interests him. Lukas is clawing his way out of the hole his previous covenant threw him in with new allies at his side. When the two meet, will sparks fly or will they burn each other?





	1. Opening movement

Mako slipped the papers back into his laptop bag as the plane began to land, looking out the window to see the city of Oslo sprawled out in the distance. The flight hadn't been long, not even three hours, but he was thankful to see it end. It wasn't that he didn't trust planes, it's just that he didn't enjoy being cooped up in a cramped metal tube with dry air for hours on end. At least the first class seats had plenty of legroom and mostly edible food.

The plane jerked as it touched down, bouncing off the ground once and slowing down rapidly. He pulled out his phone, turning off airplane mode and checking his messages as Anna unbuckled her seat belt next to him despite the light still being on. She barely waited for the plane to stop before getting up and grabbing her luggage, Mako rolling his eyes without looking up.

“You can be as impatient as you want, we still have to wait for the doors to open.” She raised an eyebrow at him, glancing between his phone and still-fastened seat belt.

“The flight was delayed, we're going to be late. Russia might be one of the oldest covenants, but it's still important for us to respect things like schedules.” Mako sighed, putting away his phone and getting up out of his seat.

“I'm sure the Norwegians know we're going to be late. And it's not like there's much to be late to anyway, there's nothing planned for today.” It took another five minutes for the doors to open, Mako making sure to sigh every now and then to annoy Anna. She glared venomously at him, but the doors chose that moment to open and Katya pulled her out before she could strangle him. Taking a moment to grab his sunglasses, he followed.

Nodding at the flight attendant with a polite smile, sunglasses now perched on his nose, he breathed in deeply and walked down the stairs. A well-dressed man was waiting for them at the door into the airport, escorting them inside to a waiting area. It was dotted with armchairs and couches, with a bar taking up one wall.

“It will take some time to unload your luggage and transport it to the cars. There are refreshments available at the bar and our staff will be happy to help you with any matters. On behalf of the Norwegian covenant, I welcome you to Norway.” He bowed, a motion mirrored by the rest of the staff stationed around the room, and left. Mako sat down on the nearest armchair and pulled out his laptop, an attendant appearing at his elbow with the WiFi code and a glass of ice water in seconds.

“Thank you.” Anna plopped down on the chair next to his, taking her own glass with a smile. She looked over at the laptop, images and text flashing past too quickly for her to make sense of them.

“Did anything interesting happen? Moscow in flames, the economy crashed, Baba ate another child?” Mako hummed, switching between tabs with quick flicks of his mouse.

“Moscow is fine, the economy is stable, and Baba did indeed eat someone, although it wasn't a child this time. Apparently some idiot tried to tell her off for her dietary habits during a meeting and got turned into a stew for his trouble.” Anna rolled her eyes.

“Did she at least wait until the meting was over?” She asked.

“She didn't. Apparently Juliana ran out of patience with the budgeting department and sent Baba in her place.” The idea of Baba Yaga, Russia's nightmare and oldest witch in the country, at a budgeting meeting was hilarious.

“I thought you'd dealt with budgeting before we left?” Mako shrugged, the barest smirk dancing at the corners of his mouth.

“I might have been running out of patience with them myself.” Anna slumped back in her chair, shaking her head as the rest of their entourage trickled into the waiting room.

“One of these days you're going to burn down the Kremlin just because a general pissed you off.” That actually got Mako to look up, a slightly offended expression tugging at his brows

“I wouldn't do that, it's historical landmark. Generals are replaceable, the Kremlin isn't. If they happened to be locked in their house while it burned down, now that would be a different story. A tragic accident, truly.” A hand clapped down on the back of his neck, Nataliya leaning down to look over his shoulder.

“Stop saying stuff like that, you're scaring the staff. I'd like to get through this without worsening our reputation.” Anna chuckled at Nataliya's warning.

“Our covenant has been led by _the_ Baba Yaga for the past four-hundred years, I don't think it can get any worse. Especially not since what happened the last time she attended a tournament. What a disaster that was. How many people did she stab, fifteen?”

“Twenty-one, six never came forward about it. Several Dublin hospitals have records of people coming in with stab wounds that were infected with something that turned their veins a 'sickly green, like they were rotting away', as one nurse described it. We sent them compensations as thanks.” Both women look at Mako, who hadn't turned away from his screen.

“How do you even know that? That happened when you were like seven, you weren't even an official member of the covenant yet.”

“Baba told me. She seemed pretty happy when I questioned why we would pay them when they were already keeping quiet, she didn't threaten to eat me for an entire week.” Anna blinked, humming thoughtfully.

“A week? Impressive. I don't think I ever went longer than four days without her clanging her teeth at me.” Mako shrugged and went back to work. The covenant was safe in Juliana's hands, but the tournament wouldn't win itself.

–

Mako looked up at the sound of the door opening, silent as a group of unknown people walked into the lounge room. They were here for the tournament, they wouldn't be able to get in otherwise, but Mako had never seen any of them before.

“The newbies. Apparently that's all there is right now, they don't actually have more than five members.” He'd known a new group would be attending this year but had yet to look them up. With this being their first year, he doubted they'd last past the first one or two tasks, especially with a team that small. If it weren't for the leader, he'd dismiss them entirely.

His face wasn't very interesting, the usual American pretty boy, but that wasn't what Mako was interested in. No, it was the curly blond hair, nice shoulders and great ass that kept him from going back to his research paper. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Anna staring at him and he turned to look at her.

“They look fun.” She rolled her eyes, turning back to Katya.

“Don't kill them, you know how the Norwegians are about hospitality.” Oh, he had no intention of killing them. Maim them, sure, that was fun. Death was the furthest thing on his mind, except maybe in the sense of _la petite mort_. Anna didn't have to know that though, she didn't like it when he played with his food. Something about him picking up too many habits from Baba. So maybe he was a bit of a biter, what did it matter if they enjoyed it.

Most of the time anyway.


	2. ain't no rest for the wicked

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mako catches his first glimpse of the new team, and then spends his evening smoothing and ruffling feathers.

The opening ceremony was held three days later at the hotel, with just the main teams in attendance. Fifteen rows of chairs faced the front of the room, each with decorated with a flag. As one of the oldest covenants, the Russians got to sit to the left of the Norwegians, who took up the middle row. Mako looked around as he took his seat, noticing a row without flags at one end.

“Didn't they forget to submit a flag?” Mako hummed at Anna's question, turning to look back and watch the rest of the teams enter the room.

“It looks like they either didn't know they needed to or weren't informed in time to design one.” Nataliya nodded thoughtfully, also turning to look behind.

He noticed it only because he'd been looking for it. When the leader of the new group spotted the plain seats, his face darkened for a split-second. So, either he didn't know they should've have submitted a flag or they'd done it too late and he was annoyed about it. His attention was drawn away when someone stepped onto the podium wearing traditional Norwegian exorcist clothes.

“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the twenty-sixth International Exorcist Tournament. My name is Olivia Hansen and I am the main coordinator of this tournament. I'll be the one to explain each task when the time comes and address any problems you might have. My team,” She gestured to the people lined up behind her, “will be in the field during the tasks held in a larger area.”

“Now. It is an honor to have you all gathered here, faces both old and new, and I sincerely hope that this years tournament will be a continuation of tradition. You will have the chance to forge new bonds and catch up with old friends in between tasks, along with testing your skills against the trials we've prepared. And, as many of you have probably already heard, we prepared a special prize this year to help motivate you and raise the stakes.”

Another woman came out, carrying a wicker basket filled with golden apples. Even from here Mako could feel the magic radiating from them and he straightened in his seat.

“Idun, personification of spring and wife of Bragi, grew sacred apples that granted immunity to death and disease. The apples from this basket are a prize our Elders have been working to manifest for quite some time. They do not grant immortality, as such a thing is impossible for humans, but they will ensure you live a long and healthy life, unplagued by illness or old injuries.”

Mako slumped back into his seat. The website had said that the prize would be golden apples but hadn't explained what exactly they could do. With how powerful they'd felt, he'd almost thought they were actually capable of granting some form of immortality, but of course that was ridiculous. If the Norwegians had figured out immortality, no way would they share it with the rest of the world.

“Further detail about their exact capabilities can be found on the tournament website. I will now explain the first task that you will have to overcome in order to claim the apples.” Ah, here came the interesting part. Mako slipped his phone out of his pocket, turning on the recording app so he could listen it over later. It would be posted on the website after the ceremony, but you never know that they could let slip during a live speech

“The first task is one of strength. Several kilometers from here lies a boulder that has remained unmoved for centuries. Your task is to lift it as high into the sky as you can without touching it. Not with your body or any implements, such as brushes or enchanted amulets. The usual pointing system applies, but for those unfamiliar, it can be found on our website.” For a moment Olivia's eyes focused on the new team, before moving on. Mako had stopped paying attention though, instead thinking through the task she'd just explained.

Lifting the boulder sounded simple enough, even with the restriction of not being able to touch it. Which is why he knew there had to be something more going on that they weren't being told. Vaguely he recalled a myth where Thor was asked to lift a giant cat but it turned out to be the world serpent in disguise, it might be something like that. He'd have to look it up later, a quick Google search should be enough.

“The task is tomorrow, our buses leave at twelve. We will wait a maximum of twenty minutes for tardy members, after which the bus will with the incomplete team. There is no punishment for missing the task, but it will greatly impact your chances if one of your team is missing. Numbers will be drawn on-site to determine the order. Breakfast starts at eight and will continue until ten-thirty and you can also choose to have it brought to your suites.”

Was that it? His eyes narrowed and he glanced at the Norwegian exorcist sitting next to him, who had a grin dancing around the corners of her mouth. Apparently not. Sure enough,

“A feast will be held tonight at the main event hall, starting at eight. We will serve both traditional and modern dishes native to Norway along with dishes inspired by Scandinavian mythology. Mead and ale will be the main drinks for tonight, but there is also a large selection of other drinks that we would be happy to serve you if they're not to your taste. For dietary restrictions, please talk to our staff.”

Of course the Norwegians would throw a feast rather than go with the usual opening performance.

–

The feast had only started twenty minutes ago but was already going strong, which he was sure the mead had nothing to do with. He was tempted to join in on the fun, but a hangover probably wouldn't make the task tomorrow any easier and he cursed his low tolerance, not for the first time. He was Russian, for fucks sake, he should be able to knock back three shots in a row and barely feel a thing.

But just because he wasn't going to get roaring drunk didn't mean he could have fun. And parties were one of the best times to work his contacts, people tended to be a lot friendlier when wasted. Mind made up, Mako ambled through the room over to one of the two long tables that lined the sides, grabbing a plate and piling it high with snacks.

Then he started hunting, munching on a mystery pastry that smelled vaguely of fish and tasted delicious. His first target was Mia from Germany, who slung her arm around his neck and stole a piece of pork off his plate. He didn't mind, he'd chosen it with her in mind after all.

“Mako! How are you, little shark? It has been some time since we've seen each other.” He smiled easily, casually topping up her drink with the cup he'd snatched off the table.

“I'm doing well, there's plenty to eat around here.” The older woman snickered, gesturing to the two men she'd been talking with.

“Keep your hands of these two, I'm going to need them tomorrow.” Mako quirked his eyebrow at the sky-looking one, smile turning flirtatious as he gave him a one-over. It got a small blush from him, but that's as far as Mako went. Mia was fiercely protective, the last thing he wanted to do was set off her mother-bear instincts. He still had scars from the last time he'd pushed her.

“Well, it's been wonderful catching up, but with these two off-limits I'll have to find entertainment elsewhere.” He handed Mia the flask, the woman not reacting to the note he slipped into her hand when she took it. It disappeared into her pocket a second later and she released him, grinning widely.

“Have fun!” He spun while walking off, winking.

“You know I will.” The grin fell as he got out of sight, Mako putting his own note away. By the gods was she exhausting to be around. He didn't dislike Mia, he admired her intelligence and willingness to stab someones throat for messing with her people, but her constant enthusiasm was enough to leave him in need of a nap.

Coatl was easier, he was too busy glaring at everyone while drinking like he wanted to die to socialize much. Mako knew that he had the constitution of a bull, but the sight of the brunette chugging gin straight from the bottle was enough to make his stomach roll in protest.

“One of these days that will actually kill you, your liver can only take so much.” The man scoffed, alcohol heavy on his breath, and took another swig.

“If only. What do you want, Russian.” Leaning back, Mako resisted the urge to pinch his nose.

“Someone tried to smuggle hag livers over the border three months ago. Fake passport, but we managed to find out he's Brazilian.” Coatl sneered.

“Brazil isn't my territory.”

“I know, but they don't answer my emails and it's not like they ever show up to this event. Those livers were dark purple, Coatl, harvested from hags over fifty years old. That's not something a punk like him can get his hands on. And two months before that, another Brazilian was picked up in Moscow with nundu claws. An illegal creature part trades are a bitch to get rid of once they establish themselves and you're the closest. Go bother them, curse at a few diplomats.” He still didn't look convinced, so Mako laid on more pressure.

“I don't want this shit getting into my country Coatl. If you won't do anything I'll turn this into an international investigation.” The Aztec detested anything official, Mako knew that, and he was banking on that hatred to get him to actually do something. He could also just throw Baba at it, but he was still trying to smooth ruffled feathers from the international shit-show caused by her body count. It had also been a pain in the ass to find a way to get rid of two hundred bodies scattered over sixteen countries.

“Alright, I'll look into it. Keep your fucking nose out of our business before you lose it.” Mako smirked, stepped close and pressing the tip of the knife that appearing in his hand against Coatl's inner thigh. Leaning in close, he pressed his nose to the man's throat, trailing it up so he would whisper in his ear.

“Is that a threat? You know I love it when you talk dirty to me.” Hands shoved him away, Mako sliding the knife back up his sleeve before anyone could see it.

“Keep your fucking hands to yourself. And tell the old witch to consider the trade dealt with, I don't want a repeat of last year. Fucking bodies everywhere, do you know how hard that shit was to hide?” Mako smiled coldly, tilting his head at Coatl. It was so much fun to rile the man up, he never knew what to do when clashing with someone bloodthirstier than himself.

Mako walked away with a new spring in his step, making a few more stops on his way over to the buffet table. Reloading his plate and grabbing two more flasks, he dove back into the crowd, off to find more people to ply with food and nudge into compliance. And maybe he'd actually find himself someone to spend what remained of the night with, but that would depend on how well Gregory took his apology.

Honestly, thirteen dead wasn't even that much, half of them hadn't even been in scattered around the plaza.


	3. First impact

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lukas and his team make an explosive entrance. Mako is left to wonder how he missed the formation of a team like theirs and the first kernels of interest sprouting in his chest.

Olivia smiled after everyone took their numbers, setting down the basket.

“Please keep your number secret until it's your turn. Could the team that drew one please step forward?” The Irish team didn't look happy as they stepped forward. Mako, who'd seen the number on the paper Anna had picked, carefully didn't smile. Being fourteenth in a fifteen-team tournament was about as perfect as it could get. They got to watch all the others try first and change their strategy accordingly without having the stress of going last.

“The rest of the teams, please get behind the line. Team Ireland, you have ten minutes starting now.” Mako retreated behind the yellow rope laid in the giant circle around the boulder, pulling out his phone to record the Irish as they scrambled to start up a ritual. A few minutes later the earth under the boulder rumbled and vines exploded outward, attempting to lift it.

Moments after the stone started rising into the air, a series of runes carved into the boulder started glowing. The effect was immediate, vines crumbling and the Irish team watching in horror as their attempt was quite literally crushed. Olivia walked up with a measuring tape, tossing onto the ground next to the boulder. It lay still for a moment, then lifted off the ground and unrolled itself for about a meter. She crouched down, peering at it for a moment, and scribbled something down on her clipboard.

“Ninety-seven centimeters. If the next team would please come forward.” Mako double-tapped the record button, stopping the first video and starting the next one. This time it was the American team that stepped into the circle, and he couldn't help but notice that Amanda looked a lot less confident than she had when they'd first arrived at the clearing.

“You have ten minutes, starting now.” They managed to beat the Irish record by a full meter and the third team scored just barely lower, but they were overtaken by the German team when they grew another boulder under the first and lifted it two and a half meters into the air. The attempts got more creative after that, the record rising to four and a half meters by the time it was nearly their turn.

Mako hadn't recorded the thirteenth team, instead taking the time to talk to his team.

“So far physical manifestations have worked the best, let's stick with that. Nothing nature-based, with the runes it's too heavy for any plant to support, maybe a creature? Anna, what can you summon in ten minutes that's capable of lifting several tons?” A roar sounded behind them, Mako looking over his shoulder so see that the Ukrainian team had created an earth golem. It crumbled under the weight of the boulder in seconds, but managed to lift it above it's head before it did.

Thankfully it wasn't a very tall golem, so it didn't even beat the four and a half meter record held by the South Americans. Those poor chickens, Coatl really could be brutal when he wanted to be.

“I could summon an ispolin.” A giant. Mako hummed, seeing the Norwegian organizer approach the boulder with their measuring tape.

“A normal summoning might not be strong enough. Is it possible to make it a full manifestation? As long as you don't finalize it, it should disappear when you cut off your magic.” Anna pursed her lips, looking over the three other women of their team. Katya was nodding, Nataliya shrugged and Irina just raised an eyebrow challengingly.

“Next team, please step into the circle.” Anna took a deep breath and nodded, striding over to the boulder with straight shoulders. They followed, Mako rolling his sleeves up to his elbow and eyeing the stone.

“You have ten minutes, starting now.” He stumbled as Anna's magic rose in a tidal wave, resisting the urge to add his own like the other three were doing and instead sinking a tendril into the ground through his feet, letting it grow roots and settle. A band formed around his chest, Anna's magic leaning on him and using the anchor he'd created to manifest an ispolin into the physical world.

Falling to his knees, eyes clouding over, he clung to the earth with every last scrap of strength he had. The barest hint of a pained moan slipped past his lips as a massive hand tore it's way through the air, pulling through an equally enormous body. The second foot stepped out of the tear, Mako slumping as the pull on his anchor lessened, a hand on his shoulder the only thing keeping him from face-planting.

The beast, standing around six meters tall, crouched and gripped the boulder, straightening it's legs with ease despite the glowing runes. But it wasn't high enough, not yet, and Anna's voice rang with power when she ordered it to lift the stone above it's head. A groan of effort came from the giant as it laboriously shifted the boulder onto it's shoulder, taking a few seconds before raising it above it's head.

A second it held it there, arms trembling, then Anna withdrew her magic. It fell like it's strings had been cut, body disappearing when the boulder crushed it. Mako leaned heavily against the person supporting him, feel a drop sweat rolling down his face. A cold hand pressed against his forehead, blank magic seeping into his drained magical system, lessening the ache in his chest.

“Let's get you on your feet.” Blinking, he took the hand Irina held out, letting her haul him to his feet.

“I need a drink. That shit doesn't get any easier, no matter how many times we do it.” Irina laughed, wrapping her arm around his waist and walking him out of the circle.

“Come on, one more group, then we can go celebrate.” Mako sat down in the foldout chair set down by an attendant, glancing at Coatl, who was holding wad of bandages to his nose. He grinned, blood staining his teeth and a small feather sticking to his chin. Mako didn't know why he'd torn the throat of a chicken out with his teeth rather than using a knife, but magic could be finicky like that.

“It's always nice to see you brought to your knees. She gets more powerful by the year-” he said, nodding at Anna, “-and yet you've already peaked at twenty-one.” It earned him a sharp look from Anna, but Mako just slouched lazily in his chair, burying the frustration with the ease of experience.

“You say that like it's in insult, my friend. I'm the only man to ever join the Russian covenant, and yet I'm second in command of the principal coven. Pure magical power doesn't mean everything, you should know that.” Coatl laughed, a horrible, rasping, sound.

“Where did you hear that one, a Disney movie? Delude yourself all you want, as long as these tasks leave you on your knees, none of it matters.” Mako shrugged, closing his eyes and clasping his hands over his stomach.

“And yet out of the two of us, I'm the one that holds Baba Yaga's respect. What have you been telling people about those missing fingers of yours? Because I know it's not the truth.” Fuck Coatl, rituals always put the man in a shitty mood. Mako honestly thought his habit of lashing out at people just because he didn't feel well was embarrassing and putting him in his place was always fun.

Before the Aztec could reply, probably with some ill-thought insult, the groan of bending wood came from the circle. Opening his eyes, Mako jerked up in his seat as branches burst out from under the boulder, a tree growing under the great stone with deafening creak. It lifted easily into the air, towering over them a good twenty meters.

Stumbling back, the chair falling to the side, Mako searched with wide eyes for the source of the tree. He found it in dark eyes, glaring at him from beside the tree as the leader of the new group yanked his arms out of the dirt. Mako looked between him and the tree, unable to understand what just happened. The runes were glowing brightly, casting faint light on the leaders face, and yet the wood didn't so much as bend under the weight.

“That's certainly impressive. Summoning a manifestation of Yggdrasil is not an easy thing, even here where the belief is strong.” Yggdrasil? The world tree from Norse mythology? But he was American, how the hell could he manifest something from a different belief system? Mind racing, Mako slowly picked up his chair, sitting down and running a hand through his hair.

Well, this just got interesting.

\--

Mako swirled the amber liquid around in the glass, slowly shifting his gaze to a pacing Anna. The couch he was splayed on gave him a perfect view of Oslo at night, but the sight couldn't capture his attention.

“How did they pass under the radar for this long? He was disavowed on top of being kicked out for fucks sake, those are the kind of people you're supposed pay attention to.” She stopped, spinning around to glare at him. Mako shrugged.

“Nearly everyone that they kick out is also disavowed, they've got high standards and aren't known for being forgiving. There were more interesting people to keep an eye on and I had other things on my mind. And don't even say that I should have kept an eye on a new covenant trying to make a name for themselves, you know as well as I do that most of those attempts end in disaster.”

“We can't lose to them, Baba would kill us.” Mako sighed, knocking back the last of his drink.

“Don't be so dramatic. They won because we were lazy and took it easy. As long as we take this seriously, they won't be a problem.” Anna scowled, snagging the bottle of whiskey from a shelf as she walked over to the couch.

“We need information. I don't even know the name of their group.” Mako murmured a thanks when she refilled his glass, focused on the phone he'd pulled out of his pocket.

“Looks like they're pretty pretentious. Call themselves the 'New Age', the leaders name is Lukas. Second in command is an Irishwoman called Morrigan who goes by Mari to avoid calling on The Morrígan, that must be fun. Then there's Brianne from Canada, Oliver from Australia, and Drago from Slovenia. All in all, a fun bunch.” Anna snorted.

“Where did they meet, a misfit convention?” Mako shrugged, still squinting at his phone. Alcohol really did nothing to help with his eyesight.

“I'll have a report by tomorrow. Full name, background, list of capabilities and known accomplishments, everything they've said and done up until now. The usual.” Anna nodded sharply, taking a seat in one of the armchairs that flanked the couch, a glass of her own in hand.

“Good. I want to know where the fuck they came from and how they did what they did. Honestly, summoning Yggdrasil with not a single Nord amongst them? Ridiculous.” Mako had some questions of his own that he wanted answers to, most prominent being the best way to cut them off at the knees. Blackmail was fun, but there was something about the intimacy of psychological warfare that gave him a warm feeling in his chest.

Oh yes, this was going to be interesting indeed.


	4. Striking metal (sparks fly)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mako and Lukas finally meet face-to-face, and it goes pretty well. For a while, at least.

The message came early in the morning, with early dawn peeking through the curtains of his room. Mako stretched lazily, feeling a faint lingering ache in his chest, and flailed his hand until he found his phone. _'I pulled an all nighter for this, hope it's enough.'_ The message read, accompanied by a download link. He took a shower while waiting for it to load, not bothering to get dressed and splaying out on the bed in a towel as he opened the file.

Scrolling through, Mako curled his toes in another stretch, taking in the information his contacts had been able dig up on short notice. Any remaining sleepiness vanished when he came to an official report taken from the American covenant about Lukas, detailing how he got kicked out. Slowing down, a sinister smile grew as he read the account. Maybe he should give Helena a raise. She knew he liked the dirty, emotional stuff that let him sink his teeth in deep.

–

“The second task is a test of your wisdom and connection to the earth. Barrels containing enchanted mead have been hidden in this area, your job is to find as many as possible and bring them back here. Drinking from the barrels is cause for automatic disqualification, all barrels will be examined for tampering when brought in. We will hand out backpacks with food and water, make it last. The time limit is four hours, any barrels brought in after that will not count.”

Someone raised their hand. “Do we get to keep the barrels we find after the task is over?” Mako snorted, but still looked at Olivia curiously.

“Yes, you do. There are forty barrels in total, and any that are not found or brought in too late will be given to the winner of the task. If you're curious about the effects of the enchanted mead, you can visit our website once we return to the hotel. Now, you will be given ten minutes to plan. If you are caught damaging barrels by any of the moderators that will be patrolling the area, your team will be penalized and have barrels confiscated.”

Mako couldn't help but notice that she didn't say anything about not sabotaging other teams. People didn't really do it since it might grow resentment that could get in the way when you're trying to work together at a later date, but it wasn't against the rules. Eyes flickering over to the New Age team, Mako let Katya pull him into the huddle. Anna chased away a stray German lingering close to them with her glare and Mako raised an eyebrow at Mia when she came to collect her errant team member.

“Detection spell on non-moving magical objects?” Mako considered Nataliya's suggestion, exchanging a look with Anna.

“It probably won't be that easy, and if there are barrels that badly hidden, everyone will be going for those first.” He nodded along with Anna's words.

“I've been reading up on Norse myths, and I think I know which one this task was inspired by. Long story short, Odin saw someone hiding a trio of special barrels in a cave through one of his ravens and snuck in to steal it. I'd say summoning some kind of tracking creature or an item that enhances your senses would be a good place to start.” The others were nodding, but Katya was staring at him. Mako smirked at her.

“You're not going to be coming with us.” That got their attention, Anna looking at him with a demand in her eyes.

“I don't think you need my help to find some barrels and I have something fun in mind. The new group embarrassed all of us in the first task, I think it's time for some payback. Besides, if they want to be part of this world, they need to learn how to work with distractions.” Katya snorted.

“You're not a distraction, you're a knife between the ribs.” Mako sniffed, looking down his nose at her.

“Like I said, a distraction. The barrels will be hidden in alcoves and caves, scan for concealment spells and concentrated spots of latent magic.” A whistle rang out over the clearing, Olivia standing next to a crate with small packs where a path led into the hills.

“Your ten minutes have passed. These packs hold two bottles of water and some snacks to keep you doing during the next four hours. There's also a whistle you can use if you become injured or exhausted, one of my team will come and pick you up. Be aware, using the whistle means you're out of the task, so use it wisely. Good luck!”

–

Following the New Age group wasn't as difficult as he'd thought it would be. They'd hightailed it into the hills, keeping a steady pace, probably hoping to search the further reaches of the marked area in peace while the rest of the groups wandered around closer to the starting point. Looking around for other teams, he hesitated for a split second before making his decision, slowly dropping the spells as he caught up to the group.

“How have you been enjoying Norway so far?” They spun around, Drago pulling out a shashka while dark magic gathered threateningly around Morrigan's hands. Mako eyed the sword sword with interest, raising his hands and meeting Lukas's eyes.

“Sorry for sneaking up on you like that, I thought you'd noticed me already.” It was a dig and they all knew it, Lukas's weary gaze turning into a glare, arms crossing.

“What do you want? The task has barely started, we don't have any barrels yet.” Mako shrugged, still with his hands up.

“I know, it's why I approached you now. If you already had barrels, you'd be more defensive and I wanted to talk to you. I mean, coming out of nowhere and just sweeping the first task like that? No new group has ever done something like that.” 'You're special, I'm making you feel special, take the bait.' he urged them internally, doing his best to appear calm and interested.

“And you thought during one of the tasks was the best time?” There you go, just a bit more. He smiled at Lukas, slowly dropping his hands to his side.

“I like to keep things interesting. But please, don't stop on my account, I'd hate to use up your time. We can walk and talk at the same time.” Lukas stopped crossing his arms and Mako cheered silently, knowing he'd gotten his foot through the door.

“Sure, why not. It's five against one. Even if we found a barrel, you wouldn't get far stealing it.” No he wouldn't, not in a fair fight.

“Okay then, take the lead.” Mako gestured for Lukas to go up ahead, but he shook his head.

“How stupid do you think I am? I'm not showing you my back. No, if you want to walk with us, you're going to be up front with me.” It was a challenge, and Mako felt an answering challenge rise in his chest. A grin spread over his face and he raised his chin, sauntering past the four tense exorcists right up to Lukas. The twenty-nine year old stared at him for a moment, then kept walking up the trail, Mako keeping pace easily.

“I have a question I wanted to ask you. I read about the technique you came up with, using blessed objects to strengthen containment spells and how the magic was too unstable, and I was wondering why you didn't use harpy feathers to stabilize the magic before channeling it through the object.” Lukas's head jerked around, steps steady despite the fact that he wasn't looking at the ground anymore.

“What?”

“I read your paper. It's a good idea, might even work with a lot of work, but I don't understand why you didn't use harpy feathers when testing the spell. They're known for stabilizing spells, it might keep the magic from burning out the blessed object.”

In an instant Lukas's face went from shocked to interested, but he shook his head.

“I did think of them, but the cursed nature of harpies would taint the magic. It doesn't matter with most spells and rituals, the taint isn't enough to affect them, but channeling it through a blessed object it different.” Mako frowned and nodded seriously.

“I forgot about that. How about griffin feathers, those aren't cursed.” Lukas scoffed dryly.

“Maybe you have some lying around, but most people don't have access to rare creature parts. And besides if the magic is stabilized, how would you mold the magic after getting it through the object? The whole point of this kind of spell it to use unstable magic to prevent magic-resistant creatures from powering their way through.” That pulled Mako up short, feet pausing for a second as his mind raced. Damn, he was good.

“My first thought would be to use another creature part to destabilize it again, but the animal base would ruin the blessing. Dang, I hadn't thought of that.” Lukas laughed, looking up from his notepad to grin at Mako.

“You've made some pretty good suggestions to far, I'm sure we'll figure something out.” Yeah, Make was sure of that as well. Whether or not it was a good thing, that was a problem.

–

They'd been searching for just about three hours, getting ready to head back, and the team had found four barrels. Brianne had three strapped to her belt, which was enchanted to make things weightless, while Oliver and Drago carried the other one between them. Mako glanced between them, trying to decide which barrel would be easiest to steal.

With only forty barrels available and fifteen teams searching, having five would be pretty fucking good. Maybe even good enough to win, which was not his plan. They'd also apparently forgotten that he was playing against him, comfortable after long discussions about various theories and high on their accomplishment of finding so many barrels.

He had his stealth spells ready to go, all he needed was a chance to steal Brianne's belt. And that chance came when he stumbled over a root and Lukas caught him, the mans gaze slipping over his shoulder and fixating on something behind him.

Turning to look, Mako could see that it was an alcove under a tree. The barrel must have fallen over, because it was halfway sticking out of it's spot, hidden only by a bush. But there was no magical signature at all and they would have walked right past it if Mako hadn't stumbled.

“You're like a good-luck charm, honestly. We found another one!” He called over his shoulder, moving past Mako to grab the barrel. The team cheered, moving off the path to see, and Mako hesitated only for a moment before he made his move.

Morrigan was the only one to see him activate his stealth spells, her call too late to warn the others as Mako cut the belt loose from Brianne, the barrels turning invisible along with him. A spell exploded next to him, throwing him to the ground. Rolling to his feet and darting behind a tree, he held his breath as the group descended into chaos.

“Mori, Oliver, detection spell now! Small but powerful, those stealth spells won't ping on a normal one.” Mako grimaced, closing his eyes and closing off the magic feed into his spells down to a trickle just as a thick wave of magic rolled through him. Fuck, those two were strong. But he knew his spells, had spent years tinkering them into perfection, and they held.

“Nothing. He's out of range this already, probably some kind of speed spell. We lost more than half our barrels.” Morrigan's voice was frigid in a way that sent chills down his spine, and Mako knew then and there that The Morrigan had at least a little foothold in the woman. She'd be one to watch out for. And then he heard Lukas.

“I'm going to fucking kill him. Three hours talking theories, sharing techniques, all so he could stab us in the back and run off with our hard work. Fuck, I can't believe I trusted him!” Lukas had trusted him? The spells nearly slipped from his grasp, eyes widening in shock. He'd met him three hours ago, why the hell had he trusted him already?

But it didn't matter now, and with each second he waited he risked time running out. Breathing in deeply, he stepped out of the tree, returning the ring to his pocket. Trusting his spells, he moved around the tree and back onto the back, carefully dodging around the team and breaking out into a jog the moment he was clear.

–

“Team Russia comes in first with seven barrels, congratulations. Second is team New Age, who arrived with four barrels just before team Germany, who also had four. The next four teams all have three barrels...” Mako stopped paying attention, accepting a water bottle from Anna with a grateful nod. There were five pairs of eyes glaring holes into the back of his head, but he shrugged them off, looking the rest of the teams over

“I wonder who they stole their last two barrels from. They wouldn't have had time to find more, if there were even any left.”

“...- and team France is fifteenth, having arrived late with no barrels.” Ah. He saw the French team sneering at the New Age team, looking more than a little roughed up. He'd feel sorry, except he really didn't. They should have never trusted him, never mind letting him walk with them for hours, and then they'd overestimated their detection spell. He hadn't been being childish when he'd told Coatl that power wasn't everything.

Magic was a living, fickle thing, and if you manipulated it just right, the weakest of spells could beat the strongest. And he'd learned how to manipulate from the best.


	5. Dancing blades (cut right through me)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clash number two, this time with more flirting.

Mako twirled the knife in his hand, staring impassively at the opaque wards. A massive dome took up most of the field they'd been taken to, containing some sort of beast for them to fight since they'd been told to wear battle gear. Some of the teams had been delayed thanks to traffic, leaving them with little to do except wait, and Mako had wandered away from the people in search of some peace.

“I asked someone about it, and they said sabotage isn't usual during the tasks. Not that it matters anymore, but I'm curious. Why mess with us? Because we're new?” Looking over his shoulder, he saw that Lukas had wandered over and was leaning against a tree.

“Mostly, yeah. Your display at the first task peaked my interest as it were, thought it might be fun to see what you were made off. And the 'not sabotaging each other' thing is because we have to work with each other after this. The tournament is supposed to be an opportunity to make connections and meet up with people you don't see often. You don't actually have any connections yet, so...” He let himself trail off, one corner of his mouth raising up in a faint smirk.

“Easy target.” There was buried frustration in his tone that made Mako's smirk grow. He knew all about Lukas's childhood, and it was a real tragedy. Born of a promising union only to end up a failure when it came to the traditional ways, struggling with the simplest things. He came up with new, different ways of using magic, for which he was shunned and eventually kicked out. This landed him on a public blacklist, leaving nobody willing to risk associating with him.

None of which Mako gave a shit about.

“Don't take it personally. I won't be the only one aiming to take you out, there will be others. And while last time you managed to get second, this time you might not be so lucky. Focus on the tasks and get better at noticing when people are manipulating you, it was pathetically easy. They'll rob you of anything useful if you're not careful, including members of your team.”

The sounds of cars approaching ended their conversation, Mako leaving Lukas to consider his words and rejoining his team.

“What did you say to him?” Anna asked.

“I told him to grow up and get better.” Katya snorted, crushing dried nettle and grinding it into her fingerless gloves.

“You really don't pull your punches.” She remarked. Mako shrugged.

“It's the painful lessons that tend to stick best.”

–

They filed though the wards one team at a time, Mako pausing for a moment when he saw the gigantic wolf pacing back and forth on the other side of field.

“That's going to be fun. I wonder if it'll be slow, it should be at that size.” She sounded like she was hoping she was wrong, because of course she was. Anna loved fighting overgrown beasts, it was practically a hobby for her at this point.

“Something that big has to be magical in some way, it's probably quick, intelligent and incredibly aggressive. There wouldn't be much of a point otherwise.” He was reluctant to encourage her, but there was no point in denying the probable truth.

“How much you wanna bet it's connected to Fenrir in some way.” Mako was shaking his head before Nataliya even finished her sentence.

“That's a suckers bet. There's only one massive wolf in Norse mythology and it's Fenrir, son of Loki. Who, by the way, is supposed to be the one to kill Odin when Ragnarok comes.” Anna cracked her neck, fingers flexing as she gathered her magic.

“We get to fight a god-killer. It's like Christmas.” It spoke of how long they'd known each other that they answered in sync.

“It's just you.” Anna laughed, bouncing on her toes as the first chain was released.

“Cowards. Mako, hang back until we wear it down, try and figure out how it ticks.” Drawing his saber, he started moving around the edge of the wards as the second chain snapped, the wolf howling and throwing itself against the last one as their presence drove it into a frenzy. Then it was loose and bounding across the field in a leap that took it right up to the first line of teams, who scattered.

Breaking out into a run, he stayed behind the teams as they circled the beast, spells starting to flash in a constant rain. Every few seconds he could see Anna peeking out over the crowd, eyes glowing brightly enough that he could see them from here and open hands pointing at the wolf. Eyeing the beast for a few careful moments, Mako dismissed it for now and searched for his second target.

Morrigan was easy to find, magic swirling around her and making her long black hair float. Lukas stood in front of her, hands clasped together and a shimmering shield formed around the two of them. Someone he thought might be Drago darted around the wolf's paws, short sword flashing as he jabbed at soft toes and joints. Mako was content to stay back for now, and besides, he had something else in mind.

“So what kind of magic is that? Shielding spells aren't usually that visible, but you don't look stoned enough for it to be a ritual.” Lukas ignored him, not even sparing a moment to glare, causing Mako to step in front of him and block his view.

“Are you using an enchanted item?” A flicker, Lukas's eyes meeting his for an instant before focusing on the wolf again, but it was enough. Apparently his warning about being less easy to manipulate hadn't sunk in yet.

“Don't you have better things to do?” Anna chose that moment to start floating and shoot a bolt of lighting out of her hands, the battlefield falling into a lull for a moment at the display of power.

“I think my team has things in hand. If you tell me what kind of shield that is, I'll stop blocking your view.” He didn't promise to leave them alone, something Lukas didn't fail to notice if his scowl meant anything. But apparently having someone standing in front of him was more annoying than Mako thought, because Lukas caved easily.

“It's a spell that lets me take a piece of an existing ward and wrap it around myself.” Eyes widening, Mako stepped aside as the information sank in.

“You're borrowing a part of the wards? Does it weaken them or do they stretch themselves to cover the hole? And if you're borrowing from these wards, why is it see-through?” He'd never heard of something like this before and yet Lukas told him like it was no big deal. Thinking back to the tree from the first task, Mako realized that maybe it wasn't. And if this was no big deal, he really wanted to find out what Lukas did consider special.

“Look up, north side.” Craning his neck, Mako shielded his eyes and searched the wards, eyes eventually catching the small open patch where blue sky peeked through.

“That's pretty interesting. Does it take a lot of power? And what is Morrigan doing that she needs this kind of protection anyway?” He didn't expect to get an answer to the second question, not after he'd burned his goodwill with Lukas, but it served to make the first question seem more reasonable.

“It's not a huge drain, but I don't think you could manage it for more than a thirty seconds.” What an unsubtle dig at his lack of magical reserves. Or maybe Lukas was that blunt, he'd said some things during their discussion in the first task that gave him the impression he wasn't good with politeness. He was about to respond when a someone coming up behind Morrigan drew his attention.

Catching the man's eye just as he was about to chuck at pebble at her head, Mako snapped his teeth at him, leaving them bared in a silent threat. As someone that was raised by Baba Yaga, a centuries-old witch with iron teeth, it was more threatening than it would be from most others.

“Did you just bite at me?” Mako waited until the man dropped the pebble and backed-away to answer.

“No. But you should work on your spatial awareness, it's terrible.” He ran off, saber at his side, darting in between people on his way to the wolf. It looked different, adding to his suspicions, and he ducked under a lunge to bury his sword in the wolf's chest. A short, pained howl echoed over the field, Mako yanking his sword loose and sprinting under the wolf to get away from it's jaws. Fuck those teeth were massive.

Once he was safely behind several teams, he looked down at his blade, unsurprised to see that there wasn't a single drop of blood staining the metal. When he searched for her, he found Anna not floating but still glowing intensely, mostly from the eyes.

“Could you turn that off, it's only going to make things worse.” It spoke of their trust that she didn't hesitate to let her magic sink back under her skin, dark brown eyes meeting his.

“Its grows bigger the more magic is thrown at it and it doesn't bleed.” She wasn't the heir of the Russian covenant for nothing, understanding instantly what he was implying.

“A magical vessel with Fenrir's essence driving it, I'm assuming? But the magical requirements to jump-start a vessel this size would take an entire covenant.” Mako thought back to the chains, which were nowhere to be found, and the effortless leap across the field.

“What about fifteen teams of five?” Her eyes narrowed, eyeing the wolf.

“We jump-started it and now we're powering it. Brilliant. Rather than another test of power, it's a test of intelligence and wisdom.” Anna sounded admiring of the cunning of the Norwegians, but Mako was cursing himself He should have known something was wrong when it let itself be surrounded that easily. Norse mythology was filled with more than enough trickery that he should have been suspicions from the moment they landed, yet he'd taken the tasks at face value.

But from the looks of it, they were the only ones to have figure it out right now. Which meant they had the chance to win this task and basically guarantee a Russian victory in one fell swoop. Tapping Anna's hand, he flicked his gaze over to Katya and back. She shook her head, pulling something out of her pocket that made him grin.

“Are you up for it?” He took the dagger, grabbing the blade hard enough to draw blood and clasp his hand with hers.

“I've done nothing aside from bother the New Age team and stab the bloody thing once this whole battle. I might actually have more reserves than Irina right now.” Not an impressive feat, she was the weakest member aside from him and healing spells tended to wipe her out, but it would be enough for this.

Anna didn't ask again, starting up a low chant that didn't get louder but seemed to creep through the field, more than a few heads turning to them as people realized what was going on. It was the most natural thing in the world to let his eyes slide closed and sink the dagger into his stomach, an unearthly howl drowning piercing his ears and making his heart skip a beat.

Lids fluttering, he saw black ichor running down the blade, head tilting just enough for him to watch the wolf collapsed in on itself until nothing remained. A calloused hand gently grasped the one holding the dagger, drawing it from his stomach, leaving behind nothing but a slit in his armor. Anna slipped it back into its sheath and drew him over to where the wolf had collapsed, finding a normal-sized pelt and a bleached skull.

“These are going to look great in the living room.”


	6. Stars shining above (let's dive deep into the abyss)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An off-hand comment from his team leads Mako to invite Lukas along for a truly magical night.

He lay splayed on the couch, glass dangling from one hand when the conversation turned to him.

“You've been playing awfully nice with the newbies. It's not like you to be this gentle with your food.” Mako took his time answering, swirling the amber liquid and taking a sip.

“I wasn't planning to be, but they're not that bad. Certainly more tolerable than most new covenants looking to establish themselves, they got a lot of credit just for that.” Katya accepted his answer without comment and moved on when he didn't offer more. It earned him a raised eyebrow from Anna, who had more experience with his non-answers, but Mako was too relaxed to let himself be prodded into sharing.

That, and he had something else on his mind. Katya had been right, he was playing nice with the New Age team. More specifically, he was playing nice with Lukas. Thinking back, he had been planning on ruining them during the second tasks, leading them in circles and robbing them blind, but he'd gotten distracted by Lukas. The conversation about his theory had been the start, but Mako had barely left him alone since.

He was into the guy. Like, genuinely interested. Licking his lips and tasting alcohol, he stared blankly ahead. What was the harm in having some fun? Lukas hadn't seemed too upset before the task today, maybe he'd be up for something.

Frowning, Mako took a gulp of his drink, winching when it burned on the way down. Actually, maybe he should charm him a bit first as an apology, take him on a date. Did he still have Alexander's number? He would know a good place to take Lukas.

Knocking the rest back, he set the glass on the table and got up, wandering into his room to change. Considering his wardrobe and potential plans for the evening, he decided on jeans, a button-up and a gray suit-jacket that he could move in without worrying about tearing. Grabbing his coat from the back of a chair, he threw a comment about finding entertainment for the night over his shoulder and left the suite.

–

The less established teams stayed in normal rooms rather than suites, but Mako was easily able to find out which one Lukas was staying in on the elevator ride down. Now he stood in front of the door, waiting for it to open after knocking. A slow smile spread over his face as the knob turned, Lukas's furrowed brow smoothing out into a black expression when he saw who it was.

“Mako. What can I do for you?” It was a polite way of asking what the hell he was doing here, and Mako had to stop himself from nodding approvingly at the diplomacy.

“I expressed my interest in buying stabilizing animal parts, and a store here in Oslo got a shipment in a few hours ago that had some options. They were kind enough to drop some off at a secluded location for, so I was wondering if you wanted to join me in some experimentation, since this is your technique.” Shock was visible on his face for an instant before he smoothed it over again.

“As much as I appreciate the offer, I'm afraid I can't. It's been a tiring day and I don't think I'm in the right state to handle potentially volatile magic.” One corner of his mouth lifted in a half-smirk at the carefully worded refusal. It looked like someone had given him a crash-course.

“And I wouldn't feel comfortable experimenting with a technique that isn't mine without it's creator present. What if I do something wrong and goes wild? You're the only one that would recognize the signs and be able to step in.” A sliver of doubt leaked into his eyes and Mako pounced on it in an instant. “You won't have to do anything if you're not comfortable, I'd just feel a lot better if someone was watching my back.”

It was a calculated gamble to subtly remind him of when Mako had shown his back in the first task, and he waited with baited breath as Lukas considered his offer.

“All right. But you have to stop when I tell you to, even if you think it's going well. This has the possibility of going very wrong if you're not careful.” Mako resisted the urge to grin, instead raising his eyebrow at him.

“If you're going in that, I'd recommend taking a coat at least. It might get a little chilly.” He trailed his eyes down Lukas, letting them linger suggestively before meeting the mans hazel eyes.

“I'll change.” There was just the slightest hint of breathlessness to his words and he closed the door harder in Mako's face than he needed to. Letting the grin spread, he took his phone and texted the driver of the car he'd arranged, telling him they'd be down in ten minutes. Just then the door opened again, Lukas stepping through it a different shirt, although he'd kept the casual slacks. Mako eyed his fur coat approvingly.

“Alright, lead the way.”

–

Riding in silence, Mako eventually took out his phone when it became obvious Lukas wasn't interested conversation. There was a message from Alexander saying that the equipment was ready and wishing him good luck, Mako sending back a thank you and putting his phone away.

“We'll pass through some wards soon, it's to keep normal people away.” Lukas nodded, not turning away from looking out the window. Mako resisted the urge to sigh, pursing his lips as he stared at the back of his head. Hopefully he'd open up a bit more later.

The car rolled to a stop, Mako handing the driver a five-hundred krone bill before getting out.

“Why the lake? Is there something in it?” There was, but not in the way he probably thought. Striding up to a small box, he picked up the four bracelets that sat on it, putting two of them on and holding the other two out to Lukas.

“What are those for? What's going on here?” Sighing, Mako walked over and took Lukas's arm, gently sliding onto his wrists.

“There's something I want to show you first, just trust me a little. If you're worried about me hurting you, the staff of the hotel saw me leaving with you, not to mention the dozens of camera's that recorded us.” That wasn't the answer Lukas wanted, frustration hardening his face, but he let himself be walked over to the edge of the lake.

When Mako tried to pull him into the water he balked.

“The bracelets will keep us warm, dry, and breathe underwater. Come on, we still have other places to be after this.” With that final reassurance, Lukas followed him into the water.

Once they were fully submerged, Mako took a small translucent rod out of his pocket, bright light spilling forth through the water when he shook it. Taking Lukas's hand, they dived further into the lake, Mako using the spell Alexander had taught him to propel them through the water. Eventually a shape came into view and he brought them to a stop before they got too close. Turning his head, he took in Lukas's reaction.

At first he didn't seem to understand what he was seeing, head tilting in confusion. Mako could see the exact moment it sunk in, his whole body jerking as he recoiled, a few bubbles escaping from his mouth. Drawing him in close, Mako patted his shoulder awkwardly with the hand holding the light rod. Lukas's head whipped around, wide eyes boring into his own.

He couldn't talk, so he just did his best to smile reassuringly, turning back to look at the world serpent. Jörmungandr's head took up the entire bottom of the lake, mouth open and swallowing his own tail. The clear water made it look like they were on a few dozen meters away, but Mako knew it would take another minute of normal swimming to reach the colossal being if he was feeling suicidal.

They floated there for a few minutes, Lukas eventually tugging on his head and pointing up when Mako looked at him. Nodding, he started drawing them upwards, surfacing about ten minutes later a bit away from where they'd first entered. Walking out of the water, he took the bracelets and put them back in the box, taking it with him to the car. Lukas didn't speak under after it started driving.

“That was breathtaking, thank you. But I thought Jörmungandr was supposed to be laying at the bottom of the ocean?” Mako smiled, a satisfied glow warming his chest.

“He's in the ocean as well, but it's easier to find him in lakes. We got lucky, seeing his head is quite rare.” Lukas nodded absently, staring blankly down at his hands.

“When you first stopped, I didn't get why. Like, my mind physically couldn't comprehend what I was seeing, it was just so gigantic. How close did we get?” Mako could understand the question, he'd asked the same one when Alexander took him to see the giant.

“Quite far, actually. Water gets incredibly clear around him, it tends to mess with your perspective.” Lukas tilted forward, interest shining in his eyes.

“Is the lake really that deep?”

“It's not. Reality twists to fit around him, he's simply too bit to exist in our world. Despite not being connected, he can be found in any lake deeper than a hundred meters, which mysteriously expands when you go searching for him. It's a fascinating occurrence, the Norwegians have been studying him for centuries. I like to read papers on him in my spare time, I could recommend some.” Their eyes met.

“I'd like that.”

–

Lukas opened the door to his room slowly, so lost in thought he didn't notice his entire team lounging on his bed until Brianne spoke.

“Where'd you run off to? We got worried when you didn't answer your phone.” He hadn't answered because it was still lying on the bedside table, where he'd forgotten it in his hurry to go with Mako.

“I was out.” Mori narrowed her eyes at him.

“Gee, we hadn't noticed. Hotel staff said you'd left with someone but wouldn't tell us who.” There went his sightseeing excuse. Meeting each of their curious gazes in turn, he shrugged and answered honestly.

“Mako came to my room and said he'd gotten his hands on stabilizing ingredients for the containment technique we'd talked about. Told me he wanted to experiment with it but wasn't sure he'd be able to do it safely alone. I went with him but he ended up taking me to a lake and showing me Jörmungandr instead.” Mori's eyes widened, Drago choked on his water, Brianna dropped her face into her hand and Oliver jumped to his feet, a delighted grin splitting his face in half

“You went on a date?! I'd thought the day would never come.” Lukas scowled.

“It wasn't a date, I just-” spent an evening with Mako, who arranged for them to see the world serpent together. And then told him about some of the amazing and rare sights in Russia on the ride back to the hotel.

“Oh my god, I did go on a date. He tricked me into going on a date with him!” He didn't know how to feel about that.

“Did you enjoy it?” Oliver asked.

He had. He'd had the time of his life, in fact. So much that he wanted to do it again, only this time without being tricked into it.


End file.
